In the Zone
by Delan Cross
Summary: Manga adaptation with focus on TatsumixTakeshi relationship. YAOI! Don't like, Don't read! Rating may be changed sometime in the future. Enjoy!


**Hai :3 this is my uptake on the first few chapters of Giant Killing! If you haven't noticed it's supposed to be an YAOI adaptation of the manga with pairing TatsumixTsubaki. I love those two^^ **

**I don't own Giant Killing. Neither manga or anime or anything else related. Just my fanfic :)**

**Yeah, well tell me if you liked it and if I should continue this. ( and I probably will, just maybe not at once^^) I want to make another two scenes like this with Tsubaki falling in love and when go into a more explicit direction of their relationship. Meaning I may change the rating to M someday :D. **

**Enjoy and review :)**

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_'__Sometimes I'm in the zone and sometimes I'm not.'_

Takeshi Tatsumi. To think that the first time I was asked about him, I didn't even recognize his name. With the others all exited meeting him, I had doubts about this person who suddenly came to be our manager. Our supporters hated him after all and I heard them scream about how he had betrayed the team before. Our new manager seemed like a pain in the neck.

The first directions from the manager who was late to his very first training were 30 meter dashes. I was a bit puzzled, but I have a pair of good legs I believe. I was always told how fast I was. It was one of the few things I was actually confident on.

After forty minutes of sprinting I was startled out of my concentration by shouts.

-"Ahhh!"

-"Look!"

-"The bastard came out!"

I turned my head to see he was finally here. He looked nothing like the evil villain they described though. Tatsumi Takeshi came strolling onto the pitch forty minutes late with an egg sandwich in one hand and a can of coffee in the other. Completely calm and observing our last run.

Afterward we assembled before him, panting and trying to catch our breath.

-"I, Takeshi Tatsumi, 35 years of age, will be your manager from now on. Let's get along. That's all."

-"We will be counting on you, Manager Tatsumi." The head couch greeted him with a smile.

-"Hahaha. Stop it with the formal speech, Matsu."

Seems the two of them knew each other from before. Still, it was strange. I mean, Matsu? Besides the speech he delivered was not that impressive as the ones from the managers before him. I heard from the other players, that they always made sure to appear on time with a stern look on their faces and delivered grand speeches about how they would lead us back to the top. Back to the glory of the past.

Nonetheless, probably because the person in front of me was so different than I imagined, the words stuck. And his completely unimpressive speech, made a big impression on me.

Our new manager took a look at out times and started calling out names, parting us into two groups.

-"Tsubaki!"

-"Here." I looked at him with distrust. What was he planning?

After he was done, Manager Tatsumi turned around to face us with a mischievous grin on his face and his hands up in the air.

-"Haha. Congratulations. You people will be regular team members."

I felt my chin drop. The reactions of the rest came all at once. Noise filled the morning air and no wonder. Our manager has just promoted all subs to regulars just on the times alone and without having seen us handle the ball at all. He left out our captain Murakoshi, Mr. ETU himself!

Coach Matsuhara demanded agitatedly an explanation. Sullenly Tatsumi glanced at the opposition and made his stance. A scrimmage match in 15 minutes. If he wins, then nobody has any right to question his decision. If we lose, he will rethink his decision though.

A scrimmage match against the regulars...Is he insane?! There is no way in hell we newbies can win! I could see all the others share my thoughts. We have no chance.

-"We are going to win." Manager Tatsumi stated with a confident smile.

It sounded like it was unavoidable for us to win. Anegulars..!"

Tatsumi lifted his hand and pointed at us with a stern look on his face.

-"Right now you...are the reserves of a weak small club. In short, the worst of the worst, the lowest rung of the ladder, barely professionals."

All of us flinched in shock at his bluntness.

-"Do you want to stay that way?" He grinned at us, knowing the answer. I couldn't tear my away from him.

-"Imagine that. Today, you beat the regular team, grab a spot on the regular team, and then go on to win league games. At that moment your position will have changed. So this can be the beginning of your Giant Killing... But you have to want it."

Tatsumi Tkeshi now had the undivided attention of every player. They clearly thought about his words, hope starting to rise in their hearts. A future as he pictured it, sounded awesome. I was captured too. But some scepsis remained.

-"But...it's not that simple..."

Of course it's not.

-"What can you accomplish, if you waver before you even begin."

That stung. Tatsumi stood up.

-"At the start of every match, there is no advantage nor disadvantage. The score will always be 0-0. Everyone is equal. But you will win. You have the ability."

He flashed another confident smile at us. And something about the way he said it made me think that we actually will. He believed in us. He believed in me.

And we won.

The managers strategy worked. After tiring the other team out for half an hour, Murakoshi took notice of our plan.

-"One-Touch playban is lifted! Attack! Attack!" Tatsumis voice resounded across the court.

And we attacked. Our passes connected without major problems, the defense was stable and the forwards ready to attack. And I ran. In the end I even helped make a goal, giving an excellent forward pass to Sera and created some good chances. Giant Killing. I was psyched up. I was in the zone.

I never felt so... so.. free. That first scrimmage match gave me the first taste of a game under Tatsumi Takeshis command. I found it rather to my liking.

I looked at our manager.

Tatsumi Takeshi. The word to come to mind was 'weird'. Weird described the person before us perfectly. But he led us to victory. I felt winged, it was an unmatchable feeling.

And due time I found a word more adequate. Genius. Tatsumi Takeshi was born to play football. Be it on the pitch or the bench. The manager is the king.


End file.
